Welcome to the site of the TikkunTree Project, a community knittivist art project dedicated to advocacy of peace between Jews and Palestinians in Israel and Diaspora. With the contributions of many, the TikkunTree’s foliage will be abundant, overwhelming, inspiring. It’s leaves and branches will shelter doves, and it’s canopy will guard a silent candle vigil from the winds of conflict. Please knit, crochet, sew, embroider, tat, and make for peace!
The Concept: To create a communally-produced peace tree, by suspending countless knitted (or crocheted, or embroidered) leaves, olives, and doves, from a knitted tree trunk structure. The project will also include a hand-made candle-light vigil to surround the tree.
Participants: Anyone who can knit, crochet, embroider, or sew, and has an interest in mid-east peace in general, and in peace in Israel in particular. That should cover us all!
The Purpose: This project will be a community art project inspired by the destruction of olive tree groves during the continued occupation and settlement of Palestinian territories by Israel; until its eventual exhibition, the TikkunTree is intended to have a continual virtual life as a vehicle for conversation about pieace, and to make intermittent appearances in knitting circles and community groups as it grows.
Its purpose is to spread public awareness, encourage thought, and inspire discussions about the continued hostilities between Jews and Palestinians, the effects of occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and current events in the mid-east, without promoting a specific view. This project is also intended to support the livelihood of Israeli Jewish and Palestinian West Bank shepherds by encouraging the use of Peace Fleece yarns for any aspect of the project. (All proceeds from participants’ purchase of Peace Fleece Baghdad Blue yarn benefits the remarkable bi-cultural community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (Oasis of Peace), thrice-nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, offering additional support for the courageous peacebuilders in Israel/Palestine.)
This project began on September 16th, 2007.
Inspirations: This project is inspired by
- the courageous and remarkable efforts of Jewish and Palestinian citizens and activists in Israel and Diaspora who have been working toward peaceful coexistence, such as Combatants for Peace, the community of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the NIF/Shatil, and many others, some of whom are listed here), and
- the many recent knittivist community needlework projects, including the pink tank, knitnotwar 1,0o0 Project , Knit a River, and the Red Sweater Project
About our header: many, many thanks to Armenian tile artist Neshan Balian for permission to use the image of his “Olive Tree of Jerusalem” mural (link here). Shterakravetsun Balian!
Want a button like this one?
The TikkunTree Project
Here’s the code (below) … copy and paste it in its entirety into a widget on your site, and voila!
<br><a href=”https://thetikkuntree.wordpress.com/”>
<img src=”https://thetikkuntree.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/jerusalem-olive-tree.jpg” width=”125″ height=”60″><br><font size=”1″>The TikkunTree Project</a>
welcome | about | patterns | reflections | links | sharing
rev’d 12.28.08
Hi– think you could put together a one-color print-friendly flyer pdf for this? This is just the sort of thing we like for the synagogue community board (and might co-ordinate well with the crochet classes later this year.)
Tree McCurdy
Seattle, WA
The flyer is nearly done. Check the “Sharing” link soon!
Since you have crocheters in your congregation, I’ll be sure to find a few more patterns for crocheted leaves and things for you all to contribute. I’m so glad you are interested (!), and look forward to building this tree with you all.
Shalom Tree!
The flyers and cards are now available on the TikkunTree Project website. You can find them at:
I’ve tried to check all the links, so do let me know if you have any problems with the downloads. I look forward to working with your congregation.
Thanks so much for your interest.
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Dear Tikkun Tree Project folks,
Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit is planning a Tu B’shvat seder to kick of JVP’s “Trees of Reconciliation” Campaign to raise funds to donate 3,000 olive saplings to Palestinian farmers for planting in the coming year. I am designing an invitation and found the wonderful tile art you use on your website and was hoping we could use it on our flyer (with a credit to your website and the artist–to lead more people to your project for peace). Please let me know asap if this will be acceptable. Many thanks!
Barbara Barefield
313-891-2514 or 313-574-6847
Detroit, Michigan
Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit
Barbara, The olive tree in the header is a detail of a large-scale tile mural by Jerusalem-based Armenian tile artist Neshan Balian, who has generously given me permission to use the image of his “Olive Tree of Jerusalem” mural (link here). You are more than welcome to provide a link to the TikkunTree project, but should contact Neshan to obtain permission to use his image.
Leslie
Can you tell me where the olive tree image is from? Is it yours or did someone else create it? It’s lovely as is your project.
Welcome to the TikkunTree, Richard, and thanks very much for your kind words about this project.
The olive tree in the header is a detail of a large-scale tile mural by Jerusalem-based Armenian tile artist Neshan Balian, who has generously given me permission to use the image of his “Olive Tree of Jerusalem” mural (link here).
Any chance of your contributing a few leaves to the TikkunTree? or spreading the word? With the fragility of the situation in Israel-Palestine at the moment, and the divisions within the American Jewish communities, there’s more need for peaceful foliage than ever!
Leslie
[…] Lezli Hope’s dainty crocheted birds — peace doves — were inspired by the TikkunTree project, “a community knittivist art project” to create a giant peace tree, to spread public […]
I follow your blog for quite a long time and must tell that your articles are always valuable to readers.
Your kind words are immensely gratifying.
Any chance you can contribute a few handmade leaves for peace?
[…] scarf pattern (rav), 3 knitted leaves along with their patterns, and info about a project called tikkuntree “a community knittivist art project dedicated to advocacy of peace between Jews and […]
Am I to presume that this site recognizes that Israel is constantly under attack and all they do is defend themselves?
Jews want peace. They have for long before 1948.
This site – The TikkunTree Project – presumes only that a just and lasting peace is the object of all who claim either Jewish identity and/or an interest in the security of Israel.
However, it is common knowledge that Israeli violence – including the violence acts of Jewish Israeli children and teens – towards Palestinian Israeli citizens is frequently motivated by racism, unbridled hatred, or zenophobia, and not by self-defense in any way. You can read about the latest example of such shameful Jewish Israeli violence in a recent article posted in the New York Times, for instance.